Driving-box lubricator



A. T. KUEHNER.

DRIVING BOX- LUBRICATOR. APPLICATION H'LED JULY 12, 1920.

Patented June 27, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

X fluZn /f QMQM provide a construction wherein the parts as UNE'EEQ STATES PAE'EN'E @FFEQE.

ALRTHUR T. KUEHNEB, "OE ELKRIDGE, MARYLAND.

DRIVING-BOX nuianloaron.

Application filed :nuyia,

principal objects to provide a device of'this character for lubricating the shoe and wedge of the box as well as the end playsurface thereof.

A further object of the invention is to indicated in the object just foregoing, will be continuously supplied with lubricant, so that the wedge will be prevented from stickwhile wear will be reduced to a mini- A still further object of the invention is to provide a lubricator employing an-oil reservoir having suitable feed pipes leading therefrom and containing an oil pad,and wherein any one-or all of the pipes may be readily cleaned without removing the pad.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a lubricatorwherein the reservoir will normally be maintained closed by the lid therefor, wherein the lid will be tightlyheld in closed position, and wherein looseness or rattling of the lid as 7 well as possibility of accidental loss thereof will be effectually avoided.

Other andincidenta-l objects will appear hereinafter. I In the drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation showing my improved lubricator in connection with a locomotive driving box.

Figure 2 is an elevation showing the lubricator on a slightly enlarged scale, parts being broken away and illustrated in section.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical section taken medially through the device, and

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4l4 of Figure 3, looking in the di-. rection of the arrows.

In order that the construction, mounting v and operation of myimproved .lubricator' ated parts.

may be accurately understoodlhave, in the drawings, shown the device in connection with a locomotive driving box and associ- The driving box. is indicated of alinement.

1920. Serial No. 395,592.

at lO, this box journalingoneof the drive axles atthe adjacent end of which is a drive wheel. Supporting the box is the pedestal l2 and bearing between the sides of the box and the legs of the pedestal is a shoe 18 and wedge 14. Resting upon the box at its upper endv is a spring saddle 15 through whichthe weight of the load is communicated to the driving box, the spring saddle being thus firmly held against the driving box to move vertically in unison therewith.

.As is well known, driving boxes as now constructed are provided with suitable passages into which lubricantis introduced for oiling the shoe and wedge. However, under this arrangement the shoe and wedge must be manually lubricated and further, said passages very soon become clogged with the result that oiling of the shoe and wedge is neglected and when actually oiled, the lubrication of these parts is very inadequate.

Thus, the wedge very often becomes stuck. Also, in driving boxes asnow constructed no provision-is made for continuously lubricating the end play surface of the driving box, lubrication of this surface being accomplished by manually introducing lubricant between the outer face of the box and the .wheel hub. Consequently, it is impracticable to lubricate't-hese parts while the locomotive is actually inv operation and since the lubricant very quickly runs off "of the end play surface of the box, this surface wears very quickly, throwing the drive wheels. out The present invention seeks,

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 27, 1922. i

therefore, to overcome these various disadvantages.

In carrying the invention into effect, I employ a reservoir 16 whlch, in the present instance, is SlIOWIL'ZIS integrallyformed on the outer leg of the spring saddle 15,

so that-said leg forms one -wall of the reservoir chamberof the device. .However,,.as will of course be understood, the reservoir may, if desired, be otherwise secured to the saddle leg and, as will be noted,

said'reservoir is arranged in vertical posi tion medially of the leg. As particularly shown in Figures 2 and 3 of. the drawings, the bottom wall of the reservoir is formed with sloping faceswhich convergeto an outlet 17-at the bottom of the reservoir and leading from said outlet are oppositely directed lateral discharge tubes or passages 18 and 19' respectively and a third outwardly directed discharge tube or passage 20 lo cated medially between the tubes 18 and 19.

. All of these tubes slope downwardly away from the outlet 17 and are an integral part of the reservoir, being formedon the saddle leg, the tubes 18 and 19 opening through the lower end portions of the flanges at the side edges of the leg while the tube 20 terminates a short distance from the outer side of the leg. Suitably fixed in the lower end portions of the tubes 18 and 19 are discharge pipes 21 and 22 respectively. These pipes are preferably formed of copper or other material sothat the pipes may be readily bent and, as particularly shown in Figure 1, the pipe 21 leads to the upper end portion of the shoe 13 while. the pipe 22 leads to the upper end portion ,of the wedge, the outer ends of the pipes confronting the inner faces of the shoe and wedge. Suitably fixed within the tub 20 is a discharge pipe 23 which leads to theupper portion of the end play surface of the box. Formed in the side walls of the reservoir are vertical channels 24 and 25 respectively, which, as particularly shown in Figures 2 and 8, open through the upper end edges of said walls and incline from the plane of the front wall of the reservoir at their upper ends toward the back wall of the reservoir at their lower ends. The channel 24enters the discharge tube 18 below the outlet 17 while the channel 25 enters the discharge tube19 below said outlet. Formed in the front wall of the reservoir is a vertical channel 26 which opens through the upper edge of said wall and the lower end portion of which is, as shown in detail in Figure 3, deflected laterally inward and enters the discharge tube 20 below the outlet 17. The purpose of these 1 channels will presently appear.

Closing the reservoir is a lid 27 provided with amarginal depending flange overhanging the reservoir. Depending from the lid at its inner edge is a lug 28 located substantially midway between the ends of the lid and extending through the side walls of the reservoir and freely through said lug is a resilient hinge rod 29 pivotallysupporting the lid. Throughout the length of the lug 28 the lid is formed at its rear edge with a rearwardly projecting undercut shoulder 30 and mating with this shoulder is an. outwardly and downwardly inclined shoulder 31 formed on the legof the spring saddle. At opposite sides of the shoulder 30 the lid is formed at its rear edge with beveled shoulders 32 while at opposite sides of the shoulder 31 the leg of the spring saddle is formed. with beveled shoulders 33 sloping away from the shoulders .32. As will now be observed, the hinge rod 29 is arranged to act against the lug 28 of the lid for urging the shoulder 30 thereof againstthe fixed shoulder 31 so that these shou de s wi l thus coast under the influable lubricant.

forwardly and flexing the hinge rod and in order that this opening movement of the lid may be continued until the shoulders 32 thereof abut the shoulders 33 limiting the lid, the lug 28 is slotted to receive the hinge rod, thereby permitting the lug to shift transversely upon the rod. Thus, the lid may be readily moved torits open position where the lid will remain until again closed.

The reservoir 16 is designed to receive a suitable oil pad or mat which is preferably formed of hair and in the practical use of the device, this pad is saturated with a suit- Consequently, the lubricant will flow from the pad through the outlet 17 of the reservoir and into the discharge tubes 18, 19 and 20, whence the lubricant will be distributed through the pipes21, 22 and 23, to the wedge, shoe and end play surface of the box. These parts will accordingly be effectually lubricated and as the lubricant will continuously drip from the pad within the reservoir, lubricant will be continuously supplied-to said parts. In this connection, the purpose of the channels 24, 25 and 26 becomes apparent. As will be seen, should the tube 18 and pipe 21 become clogged, a wire or other suitable probe may, by opening the lid 27 be inserted through the channel 24 and then forced through said tube and pipe for removing the stoppage therein. Similarly, the tube 19 and pipe 22' may be cleaned by inserting a wire/through the channel 25 and, of course, the tube 20 and pipe 23v may be cleaned in like manner by insertinga probe through the channel 26. Consequently, a free flow of lubricant through the discharge. pipes of the device may be easily maintained and, as will be particularly noted, any stoppage in the discharge tubes and pipes may, in the manner indicated, he removed without removing or molesting the oil pad within the reservoir. Further, since each of the discharge tubes of the device is provided with an individual channel, a wire or other probe may, without confusion, be at once introduced into any one of the tubes found to be clogged.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a journal box wedge and the end play surface of the box.

2. The combination with a journal box having a shoe and wedge associated therewith, of a reservoir mounted adjacent to the box, and means independent of the box leading from the reservoir to said shoe and wedge respectively and to the end play surface of the box for distributing lubricant thereto.

3. A lubricator including a reservoir hav ing a reservoir chamber and provided with discharge means and with means whereby the first means may be cleaned from the inner end portion thereof exterior to said chamber.

l. A lubricator including a reservoir having a reservoir chamber and provided with discharge means and with means whereby the first means may be cleaned from the inner end portion thereof exterior to said chamber, and a lid for the reservoir normally closing said second mentioned means.

5. A lubricator including a reservoir provided with discharge means and having a channel in the wall thereof entering said discharge means whereby the discharge means may be cleaned.

6. A lubricator including a reservoir having a discharge tube and provided in a wall thereof with a channel entering said tube whereby the tube may be cleaned, and a lid for the reservoir normally overlying said channel.

7. A lubricator including a. reservoir provided with a shoulder, a lid for the reservoir provided with a shoulder, and means pivotally supporting the lid urging the shoulder thereof to coact with said first mentioned shoulder for forcing the lid closed.

8. A lubricator including a reservoir provided with a shoulder, a lid for the reservoir provided with a shoulder, and a resilient hinge rod pivotally supporting the lid urging the shoulder thereof to eoact with the first shoulder for forcing the lid closed.

9. A lubricator including a reservoir provided with a shoulder, a lid for the reservoir provided with a shoulder, means pivotally supporting the lid urging the shoulder thereofto 'coact with said first mentioned shoulder for forcing the lid closed, and means for limiting the lid in its opening movement below the pivotal center thereof.

10. A lubricator including a reservoir provided with a downwardly beveled shoulder, a lid for the reservoir having a depending hinge lug and provided with an undercut shoulder mating with the first shoulder, and a resilient hinge rod extending through said lug and pivotally supporting the lid, the rod acting against the lid for urging the shoulder thereof to coact with the shoulder of the reservoir for forcing the lid closed.

11. The combination with a journal box spring saddle, of means mounted thereon in position for feeding lubricant to the end play surface of a journal box supporting the saddle.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ARTHUR T. KUEHNER. [L. s.] 

